Creative barrier to separate cats and dog?

[french_fry]

I live in a small one bedroom apartment and basically the only reason my dog is crated when unsupervised is to ensure that our two cats don’t pester her into having a reaction to them (she is great 99% of the time but has had a reaction to my kitten relentlessly getting into her personal space a couple of times that I would like to prevent in the future.) If I can devise an effective and collapsible/removable/storable barrier between the bedroom and the living room/kitchen area, I could leave her loose in one room and the cats in the other.

There is a bedroom door (obvious solution!) but it really needs to stay open for airflow (it’s a really small apartment) and ideally I’d like to keep the space open visually as well. We wouldn’t really need to use it while we were at home (hence the collapsible/removable criteria) but it could come in handy for feeding, having guests over, etc.

I was thinking perhaps a retractable mesh baby gate, but they top out at 34ish inches and my cats could clear it. Has anyone ever mounted one on top of the other in a doorway?

Any clever solutions I’m not thinking of? I don’t think we have the space to do a screen door, which I’ve heard of people doing for cats.

[jetsmom]

Yes, I’ve mounted one hate on top of the other. Very easy to do.
Or install an aluminum storm door that is solid on the bottom, and has a screen on top instead of the current interior door. Save the old door to put back when you move. The storm door is a little more secure, since cats can climb toddler gates, and dogs can jump up and knock over the toddler gates.
If you use the toddler gates, pay attention to which side of frame you place it on. You want it on the side so if dogs jump against it, the ends of gate will not be pushed past frame ( edge that juts out).

[saje]

I’ve used sections of an old collapsible wire crate as a makeshift and sturdy screen door to keep kittens in a bathroom that needed light and ventilation (no window). The little buggers climbed it, but it kept them in and everyone else out.

I’ve also used an extra tall baby gate turned on its end and extended full height. The cats could probably climb it, but apparently it was just tall enough that they never looked up and saw the space at the top. I secured it w/ cup hooks.

[Bicoastal]

I use this extra tall gate with cat door. It’s 41" and the cat door could come in handy for future setups. I bet you could find taller, too, if the cat door isn’t required.

I have mounted the easy, tension-only gates one on top of the other. The puppy learned to climb higher ;). YMMV.

[GoForAGallop]

I use a screen for the exact same situation. Not a screen door, just a framed screen. I thumb tack it onto the door frame.

Hella ugly, but it works. And can come down when guests are around/in the warmer months. (It’s necessary to allow heat transfer from the pellet stove to the rest of the house.)

Just this, basically: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Andersen-Casement-Window-Screen-C5-20-11-16-in-x-55-13-32-in-Stone-Frame-Casement-Insect-Screen-C5-1344020/100655642 although they come in dozens of different sizes.

[2tempe]

http://www.roverpet.com/dogs_cats/rover-doorway-gates/gates/

Not necessarily cheap but up to 72" high.

[vacation1]

Magic Mesh door?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/As-Seen-on-TV-Magic-Mesh/20850476

[MsM]

No, Magic Mesh wont work - you can just push through! If not two gates, you could try one gate and a roll up bamboo shade attached above the door. Roll down and perhaps add a pressure bar on the dog’s side near the bottom. Hopefully the cant wont challenge it…

[jen-s]

I have the same gate as Bicoastal. It’s fabulously easy to install. I have it resting on the floor so the cats can just walk through the gate. Unfortunately, my 45 pound pit mix has figured out how to wedge herself through the cat door. Not joking! I have yet to catch her in the act, but when I do, there will be video proof because I can’t fathom how she fits!

[cnigh]

Yup 2 baby gates. You can also do a screen door and gate combination. Kind of like a Dutch door.

[red_mares]

Replace the interior door with a screen door? They aren’t expensive. Interior door hinges are about $5/pair.

[Equibrit]

A security door to replace the interior door?
http://www.screenmobile.com/Our-Products/Screen-Doors/Security-Doors
with holes small enough to stop kitties.
Cats and dogs can destroy screens.

[MsM]

Your options also depend upon how much carpentry you can do and are allowed to do for the apartment. If you could find a screen door the will fit on the original hinges (many are a different style hinge) and you don’t need a solid door, that could work. If you cant find that you could also get a cheap interior door and cut out most of it to add a screen - lots of work tho.
You might be able to find or make a screen with frame that fits in the frame. If the jamb is large enough you could use pressure bard to hold it against the stops.